Is this real torture or the kind of "torture" the U.S. government does? (click the link)?

Question

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071220/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq
I guess this is probably a little more uncomfortable than the waterboarding or putting people in rooms where it is too cold or too warm. You make the call.

I guess my point is that when the U.S. so called tortures someone they come out of it with a few bad memories, when the terrorists torture someone they don't come out of it at all. But we keep getting blamed. I guess I should be used to it by now.

Answer 1

I'd bet there was a little more going on than getting wet in there. The blood spattered knives and swords offer a little clue about the activities in the room.

Answer 2

when you talk about torture you have to make clear whether you mean

torture as practiced in the US - where waterboarding was *just* outlawed. - mainly psychological - with a real risk of longterm psychological damage

torture as practiced in countries friendly to the US (and to which the US practices rendition) - real physical torture - with a real risk of death - as well as psychological torture

torture as practiced by al-queda - physical with a high probability of death during or after.

at the end of the day, all torture is bad, and has been shown to be ineffective in getting real, useful information